Early Conclusions about the 2024/25 Premier League Season

Three matchweeks have come and gone, and now the first international break of the season is ongoing. We are seizing this opportunity to take stock of what happened so far and draw some early conclusions in this Premier League review article.

Manchester City Are Still the Team to Beat

Pep Guardiola’s serial winners have started the season strongly, just like everyone expected. They are one of only two teams with a perfect record (the other being Arne Slot’s Liverpool). Despite being Rodri-less for the first three games, City have nine points and Erling Haaland is once again on a warpath to the Golden Boot after hat-tricks in consecutive weekends.

Arsenal, the team that pushed the Cityzens hardest in the last two seasons, are not doing too badly either, having secured two wins and a draw, but will be missing Declan Rice in the north London derby due to suspension.

New Prem Managers Experience Varying Fortunes

While Arne Slot and Fabian Hürzeler have had great starts to life in the Premier League (like Arsenal, Brighton is also on seven points), Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea continue to be the division’s great entertainers: a loss to City in their season opener was followed up with a 6-2 away win vs Wolves, but then along came a disappointing home draw against Palace.

Speaking of Slot, he became the first Liverpool manager since Bob Paisley to win his first away game at Old Trafford.

Russell Martin is pointless with Southampton, while Kieran McKenna only just secured his first in Ipswich’s draw with Fulham. Both teams will have to fight hard to stay up this season.

Relegation Battle Might Be Tighter This Season

Since Everton are this bad (more about them in a bit), it is unlikely that all three newly promoted teams go straight back down like last season.

Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton are not necessarily very well equipped to survive, but, in the Toffees and potentially another one or two teams, they will have dance partners for this relegation ball.

Everton Seem Hopeless

The Toffees were well on their way to the first points of the season against Bournemouth until the 87th minute. A historic collapse followed and, while it’s still really early, we just can not see Everton having what it takes to escape relegation once again after a few seasons of walking the tightrope.

Sean Dyche might just be the first manager to get the sack this season and, if that happens, the big question is: will that even help Everton?

Manchester United’s Woes

After an unconvincing opening day win against Fulham, United lost in reverse “Fergie Time” against Brighton on matchday 2. Sure, it was disappointing, but it was not as heartbreaking as the 0-3 loss they suffered at the hands of Liverpool.

Erik ten Hag seemed to only be kept on as manager due to a lack of alternatives, but now might actually be rivalling Dyche in the sack race because we can not imagine that the Manchester United higher-ups are too happy with how things stand.

Arsenal Will Be There or Thereabout Again

It must be said: Arsenal are really solid this season too. While they are not on maximum points anymore, Mikel Arteta’s team will, in all likelihood, still be the ones to fight it out with Manchester City until the final weeks of the season.

Liverpool are in transition, with a new manager and a lack of defensive reinforcements, Chelsea and United need a ton of work just to be alright, Tottenham are flattering to deceive and Villa will probably not have the same staying power as they need to juggle Champions League responsibilities this season too.

All things considered, it will probably boil down to Guardiola vs Arteta once again, at breakneck speed to the finish line in May.

Other Talking Points

Wolves and Crystal Palace are on one point each (just like newly promoted Leicester and Ipswich), telling us that they have work to do, but given what the teams that came up from the Championship are showing us, will probably not be too concerned with relegation in nine months’ time.

Fulham and West Ham have made some smart business this summer, so they will be hoping to push towards the lower European spots soon, while Nottingham, Bournemouth and Brentford have all started a bit better than was expected of them. Thomas Frank has led his Bees to two wins in three games, with their only loss coming against Liverpool.

All in all, compelling viewing so far. And we certainly expect more of the same. It is the Premier League, after all.